Senior HR Advisor

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider seeks a Senior HR Advisor to join their dynamic HR team. This fixed-term role offers opportunities for career development within a progressive HR function, focusing on employee relations and organisational change. The ideal candidate will have a postgraduate diploma in HR management and experience in a large organisation. You will provide professional HR advice, manage complex employee relations issues, and support strategic objectives. Flexible working options are available, making this an excellent opportunity for those looking to advance their HR career.

Benefits

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

NHS Discount

Competitive pension scheme

Lease car scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental Health First Aiders

Staff accommodation

Networking and support groups

Qualifications

• Experience in managing complex employee relations issues.
• Demonstrable experience in a large organisation.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive HR advice on workforce issues.
• Support implementation of organisational change and policies.
• Manage employee relations caseload and investigations.

Skills

Employee Relations

Organisational Change

Policy Development

People Management

Performance Management

Education

Postgraduate Diploma in HR Management

Job description

We now have fantastic opportunity for aSenior HR Advisorto join our HR team working across our Community & Corporate Servicesdirectorates. This is a rewarding role which will give you opportunities to develop and excel in your HR career. The role isfixed term for 12 monthsin the first instance, with a possibility to extend depending on business requirements.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is aspiring to be an outstanding provider of mental health and community services, and central to thisambition is a modern and progressive HR function that acts as an enabler for the published Trust Strategy and NHS People Promise.

The HR function within Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is under dynamic leadership and a structure that enables a greater focus on the strategic mission and goals.

We support flexible working and can accommodate most hybrid working requests that are aligned to the business interest. From time to time you will be required to work across our trust sites as the need arises.

We're looking for candidates with a postgraduate level Diploma in HR Management) and/or significant demonstrable experience of working in a large complex organisation handling employee relations issues including sickness absence management, employment law and performance management issues. Experience of managing multi-faceted employee relations issues is essential.

If this sounds like the next step in your career, we would love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

You'll be working on these key areas in your role:

• Employee Relations & Organisational Change
• People Management
• Policy and Procedure Development / Project Work
• Learning and talent development
• Workforce Information

Main duties include:

• Providing managers with comprehensive and professional advice on a variety of workforce issues.
• Proactively support employees relations cases, work with operational managers to review structures and provide HR advice in relation to organisational change.
• Support the implementation of organisational change, policies, and other workforce initiatives to enable the organisation to achieve its strategic objectives.
• Support operational managers with the review of departmental structures, the management of change and providing appropriate HR advice (with support from HR Consultant/HR Business Partner as appropriate). This may mean taking the lead on managing organisational change programmes.
• Managing a defined ER Caseload by undertaking investigations, hearings (and where appropriate Appeals and Employment Tribunals) with line managers, providing support and guidance during investigations ensuring that agreed Trust procedures are adhered to and provide support to HR Officers across the department on case work, including Grievance and Dignity at work, Performance and Conduct, Sickness Absence/Capability & Redeployment.

Working for our organisation

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:“Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”

Our values are:“Caring, safe and excellent”

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Your key working relationships in this role will be:

• Head of HR
• HR Advisors & Senior HR Advisors
• Head of Central HR (and People Hub team)
• Directors, Senior Managers and other Trust Managers
• All employees
• Other Workforce Transformation staff including OD (Health & Wellbeing, EDI)
• Staff Side representatives
• Payroll
• Occupational Health team

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

Person specification

Essential

Essential criteria

• Thorough understanding of contemporary HR practices.
• Significant demonstrable experience of Human Resources issues in a large complex organisation including sickness absence management, employment law and performance management issues, and intricate / multi-faceted employee relations issues.
• Leads on and manages a defined ER Caseload
• Provides advice and support to HR Advisors & Officers across the department.
• Demonstrable experience of supporting the implementation of organisational change
• Proven knowledge of Equality and associated legislation.
• Proven knowledge and understanding of key NHS issues including national and local policy drivers

Desirable criteria

• Experience in supporting and preparing case papers for Employment Tribunal.
• Understanding of Restorative Just and Learning Culture and Kindness into Action principals

People Management

Essential criteria

• Contribute to the development and implementation of HR policies, procedures and guidelines to meet the needs and values of the Trust and the requirements of employment legislation, NHS Employers guidance and best practice.
• Promote the effective implementation of agreed best practice through both HR and managers within the Trust

Desirable criteria

• Experience of supervising or managing staff

Policy and Procedure Development / Project Work

Essential criteria

• Contribute to the development and implementation of HR policies, procedures and guidelines to meet the needs and values of the Trust and the requirements of employment legislation, NHS Employers guidance and best practice.

All new starters have a thorough induction process, both local and Trust wide, which aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale.

Appointment to this post is subject to the trust receiving satisfactory references covering 3 years of employment or study. Please ask your referees to respond promptly to reference requests.

We’re advocates of flexible working and many of our roles offer a range of employment options to help you balance your work and personal life.

Employees are expected to undertake mandatory and statutory training related to their role.

We are ambitious in our pursuit of excellence, driven by the belief that a fair, just and fully inclusive organisational culture enables our teams to deliver the best quality of care and services possible and we work hard to ensure that our diverse workforce reflects the communities that we serve.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community, are an Equal Opportunities employer with a number of internal networking groups to support our employees and where possible will always look to make reasonable adjustments in order that you can fulfil the role to recognise your full potential. All our employees are committed to demonstrating through their behaviour our core values – safe, caring and excellent.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Oxford is a world-renowned centre of excellence for research. Oxford Health works closely with the University of Oxford department of Psychiatry and the Department of Primary care, has a Biomedical Research Centre dedicated to improving mental health and the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at the Warneford site. The Trust also hosts the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) which carries out applied research that directly impacts patient health and wellbeing